Chapter 20 - Harlow

“I hope they are treating you well. Have you eaten?” I drifted around him, letting my hand drag across his shoulders.

         “Just so you know, I’ve started a bet in here.” Joe’s voice came over the earpiece.

         I responded in Russian, “Oh yeah? What?”

         “Chair is going to crack in ten minutes and table is not going to talk.” He responded in English.

         In Russian, I said. “The chair will crack in seven minutes, and I’ll kill table.”

         Joe laughed over the earpiece.

         “What are you saying?!” Table screamed at me.

         “Are you going to answer me?” I asked Chair, looking at my nails.

         “N—no. I haven’t eaten.”

         “Good, because I don’t want you throwing up on me.”

         “Wha—”

         Before he could say the full word, I plunged a right hook into the side of his face, filling the air with a pleasant crack of a broken bone. The location where the brass knuckles hit his face, welted and started to blister. “Interesting.”

         “You fucking bitch.” Table screamed. Chair’s head lolled from the hit, out cold.

         “That was easy.” I chuckled softly. “How long until he comes to?” I asked in Russian.

         After a moment, Malachi answered. “About a minute or two.”

         “If I want to win the bet, I shouldn’t do that again,” I said in Russian, laughing. “Can you get me a cloth and some water?”

         “Going all out, aren’t you?” Joe said. “Coming right up.”

         “I want to win,” I replied in English this time.

         “What are you going to win?” Table breathed at me.

         “Have you ever heard of waterboarding?” I said to Table, leaning my elbows against the clear space next to Table’s head and staring at him.

         Table’s eyes shifted from left to right, signifying he hadn’t heard of it before.

         “Let me tell you. First, I’m going to cover your face with a cloth. Then I’m going to pour water over your face. Doesn’t sound too bad, right?” I paused and waited for him to respond. He just shook his head. “Wrong, it’s actually fucking awful. Do you want to know why?”

I waited again, and he nodded.

“Because this is a replication of drowning. So, what I’m going to do is, first, I’m going to wait for your friend to wake up.” I looked over my shoulder at him, and he started to raise his head slowly. “Which it looks like he’s coming to. Then I’m going to cover your face with a cloth, and I’m then going to ask you a question. I will give you five seconds to answer. If you don’t answer within five seconds, that’s when I will start to pour the water over your face.”

         Table’s eyes darted around, trying to find a way out.

         “Does that sound good to you?”

         “You’re fucking crazy.”

         “Never said I wasn’t.” As soon as I said that, one of the guards came in with a pitcher of water and a handkerchief and handed them to me. “Thanks.” I took it and looked at Table.

         Table’s eyes grew wide.

         “What’s going on?” Chair asked.

         “Let me tell you.” I looked over my shoulder at him. He watched me carefully. “Actually, let me show you.” There was a strap on the table that would hold his head still. I would need it still if I were going to get this right. I set the pitcher and handkerchief on the table next to Chair and went back over to Table to fasten his head to the table. I pulled it as tight as it would go. Table let out a grunt. “Strapped in tight?” I asked if I were talking to a kid.

         “Fuck you.”

         “Nah, I’m good. Thanks, though.” I grabbed the handkerchief and folded it in half, and put it over his nose and mouth just so he could still see me as he went through this torture. “Ok, first question. What are you doing in this territory?” I waited, but he didn’t answer, “three…two…one. Suit yourself.” I poured water over the cloth. Table started to gasp under the handkerchief. I tilted my head and stared at him.

         “How long do you wait before removing the cloth?” Malachi’s voice rang in my ear.

         “It depends, since this is the first go, I’m not going to wait too long. I just want him to have a taste.” I said in English. I wanted Table to understand, to know that this was only the beginning.

         After a few more moments, I pulled the cloth away. “How do you feel?”

         He sputtered and tried to catch his breath. “You bitch.” He yelled in between breaths. I just stared at him, waiting for him to regain his breath and say something else.

         When he didn’t I said, “Usually, that’s how people feel at first, but then that begins to change, when they are under water longer.” I placed the cloth back over his mouth. It was damp, so he was already struggling to breath. “I’m going to ask again, what are you doing in this territory? Five…four…three…two…one.” I poured the water over the cloth; I saw him struggle.

         “Please stop! You’ll kill him.” Chair yelled from across the room.

         “You fail to see that I am giving him an out, and he’s choosing not to take it. If you want to answer for him, I would consider it.” I looked down at Table, he was still struggling to breath under the cloth.

         Chair clamped his lips closed; concern laced his thoughts as his eyes darted around, trying to find a way out. “I can’t.” He finally said in a whisper.

         “Why?” I asked as I poured more water over the cloth.

         “They’ll kill me.”

         “Who is they?”

         He shook his head.

         I looked down at Table, the skin around the cloth was turning bright red. He had had about enough. I pulled the cloth away. Table’s eyes were heavy as he breathed in a breath of air.

         “I don’t know about you, but I’m having a blast over here.” I looked at Chair and then at the two-way mirror. I could only see myself, but I knew Malachi and Joe were there watching me. “New game, I’m going to ask you the question as I’m pouring the water on the cloth. And I won’t pull it away until you answer…okay?”

         Chair’s eyes widened. He was going to be responsible for his friend’s life. And it was solely up to him to answer it.

         “Are you ready?”

         “No, please,” Chair whispered.

         “Awww, now you have manners. But when you attacked me back at the gym, you had no manners and called me…what was it…oh yeah a bitch.” I laughed to myself. It felt good getting revenge. “How about I start off with an easy one?”

         Chair nodded.

         I put the cloth back over Table’s mouth and started to pour water. “What are your names?”

         “I’m Brent, and that’s Dave.” Chair, now known as Brent, answered.

         “Good.” I pulled the cloth off of Dave’s face. “Next question.” I put the cloth back over his face and started to pour. “What are you doing in this territory?”

         Brent looked at me and then at Dave. Panic was filling his face. “I can’t. They’ll kill me.”

         “You’ll kill him.” I continued to pour.

         His eyes darted around, unsure of what to do.